Venezia Giulia – Cuvée ‘Confini’

Venezia Giulia – Cuvée ‘Confini’

A very cool wine made from 40% Pinot Grigio, 40% Gewürztraminer and 20% Riesling. It has the spice from the Gewürztraminer (which they call Traminer) and the elegance from the other varieties. This is the wine that fully crosses the border into Austria and Eastern Europe but does so in style and grace.

Fermentation takes place in 500- litre French oak barrels at 22-24°C, followed by maturation on the fine lees in the same barrels for 11 months, with frequent bâtonnage. The wine is cellared for at least 12 months after bottling. 14.5% alcohol.

“A great wine with an excellent texture and a rare expression of smoothness. Always among the best Italian white wines.” Luca Maroni IT

About the Producer

Founded in 1879, Lis Neris is a four generation family estate located in the centre of Friuli, in the charming village of San Lorenzo, south west of Gorizia. The 74 ha of vineyards are planted between the Slovenian border to the North and the right bank of the Isonzo river to the South. Being close to the sea, the climate is typically Mediterranean, and the bora - a prevailing wind coming from the Adriatic Sea - has a cooling effect. A wide diurnal range encourages slow ripening and results in concentrated grapes with balanced acidity. The soil, formed by calcareous gravel dragged down by the melting of the Eastern Alps glaciers, stores the warmth during the day and releases it at night time, also helping the grapes to ripen. The wines are produced from the domaine’s estate vineyards, and vineyards in Slovenia they closely manage. Total production is 30,000 cases per year.

1981 was the turning point in the history of the winery, with a new approach to production aimed at raising the quality. Since, Alvaro Pecorari has expanded and improved the project started by his father in the seventies. The winery underwent a complete modernization in 1990: it is 100% gravity fed, designed by Alvaro. Lis Neris is now recognized as one of the best producers in Friuli.

Farming practices/sustainability: organic farming. A single annual treatment of insecticide imposed by EU regulations is performed against Flavescence dorée. Fungicides are used against downy mildew and powdery mildew under a program imposed by EU regulations. Both treatments apply to all vineyards, included the organic ones. The winery is powered by solar panels and is fully autonomous.

“Lis Neris has been well-known in Italy for years, but I rarely, if ever, hear much about the wines in the US, which is a shame. Proprietor Alvaro Pecorari crafts rich, textured wines from his vineyards in the Isonzo district. The whites are all aged in 500-liter barrels, which gives the wines considerable texture.”
Antonio Galloni, vinous.com, June 2015